The Spanish basketball team under-19 defeated this Friday to Portugal (68-58) in the quarterfinals of the World of the category, to continue their unbeaten path to the semifinals, in which he will face the winner of the confrontation between France y USA.
For its part, the Portuguese team ended its journey in the tournament, in which it made history with its classification for the quarterfinals, a milestone that had never achieved male or Portuguese female basketball, both in lower and absolute categories.
Portugal The duel began better, with the clear pivot Silvaof the Unicaja from Malaga, who already scored 37 points against Israel In the round of 16, dominating in both hoops, being a presence in painting.
The Spanish team managed to placate the good Portuguese start and chained a partial 6-0 that forced the coach of PortugalAugustine Pintoto ask for the first dead time of the game, although it did not serve to stop the impetus of the Spanish Somtochukwu-Balsse Okafor and Shaila Ndethat left the score in their favor at the end of the first quarter in 22-14.
Spacewhich came to get 12 points up, it was only with two advantage, but reacted just before the break to re-create a small gap in the luminous (32-41).
The inaccuracy and mistake were the tonic of the third quarter, in which Space It was more than six minutes without scoring a basket (0/7 in triples) and only marked six points, with one Portugal which alternated defenses in zone and individual to reduce the advantage to only four (43-47) before the last manga.
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A triple from Carla Eighth and another of Okafor They gave oxygen a Spacewho put land again on the scoreboard against a Portugal who ran out of resources beyond Silva and ended up claudicating with the final 68-58.
Now, Space He will fight for the medals of the tournament against the winner of the confrontation between France and the United States.
